


Fifteen Minutes

by Duskskully, Greenhand, SEGASister



Category: Monster Prom (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-10
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-08-21 18:47:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16582046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Duskskully/pseuds/Duskskully, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Greenhand/pseuds/Greenhand, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SEGASister/pseuds/SEGASister
Summary: [This story is based on a secret ending added to Monster Prom's October event. Spoilers for the secret ending ahead.]What if I told you that the world was gonna end and you had fifteen minutes to spend with me or your friends?Prom draws near. As the students scramble to find dates, the Prank Masterz (With a Z!) gear up for the prank to end all pranks (as well as life on Earth as we know it)!





	1. Prologue + Three Weeks Earlier

Two monsters stood atop the hill, overlooking the great chaos in front of them. The sky ran red with flames and the stench of blood. In the distance, a gargantuan mass of purple tentacles and green eyeballs swarmed Monstropolis. Damien turned to Miranda, and solemnly nodded. The mermaid reached into her pocket, and blew into a conch shell, summoning their combined forces. The sound of war drums grew louder and louder as two armies marched over the hill on either side.

To the left, a phalanx of armored merfolk, armed with tridents, shields, and banners of the Vanderbilt family. They marched in beat with the drums, solemnly holding formation until further orders were given. To the right, a mob of demons, of every shape and size, and wielding all manner of weaponry. They roared and jeered at the monster in the distance, eager to taste eldritch blood. The two battalions couldn’t seem more opposite. But today, they had a common enemy.

“This is gonna be one hell of a bloodbath," Damien grumbled, drawing his sword from its scabbard. “We’re down to every last soldier we have.”

“Then we must make the most of it," Miranda said. “We will have to end it right here.”

The demon stared back out over the battlefield. It’s been a long time since he’s fought this hard. “We’re going to die, aren’t we?” he asked, without the slightest hint of panic in his voice.

Miranda paused. She gripped her trident harder, and gave a deep breath. “It certainly seems so," she replied, just as stoic. “But we won’t die like cowards.”

The demon finally brought himself to chuckle. “Yeah. Sounds about right.”

Miranda nodded. She took one more look at the eldritch horror. “The seven seas and the Nine Circles of Hell conspire against you, Z’gord!" she announced. “We will not make this easy for you!”

* * *

_Three Weeks Earlier…_

Brian couldn’t sleep. _She_ was keeping him up again. He couldn’t help but hear her voice. She was calling for him, she was begging for him… to free her. Free her how? Free her from what? His dreams at night always left him with no answers and he’d always wake up to the leaky roof dripping water on his head. This shack wasn’t much, but it was home.

The zombie sat up, groaning as he rubbed his sunken eyes. It had to be her… that same voice whispering into his dreams time and time again. He could pick that voice out of a crowd, he’s heard it so much. Mostly, it’s unintelligible… gibberish. But recently, she’s been speaking more clearly.

He stayed quiet… and tried to listen for her voice again.

“ _Help me… Set me free… Brian…!_ ”

Brian quickly got dressed and left the, well, he called it a shack, but that was because it was a tiny house compared to the mansion that housed his home in its yard. He watched as his closest and oldest friend made her way downstairs and kissed her father goodbye. He made his way to the door as she walked down.

“Morning, Brian!” the girl greeted, smile on her face.

“Morn’, Vicks," Brian yawned, stretching his neck to prevent the rigor mortis from setting in. His joints always got stiff in the morning. The two walked to the bus stop, as any other day began.

“Did you have that dream again?” Vicky asked.

“Yeah.” Brian replied after a pause. “Is it normal to have recurring dreams for _this_ long?”

“Six months? No…” Vicky answered as they boarded the bus, moving all the way to the back.

“So… Prom’s three weeks away,” she reminded him, trying to change the subject of conversation.

“Shit,” Brian cursed. “I haven’t even thought about who to ask out… any luck with Liam?”

“Surprisingly, Yes. I… kinda caught him in the anime club, trying to convince him that a classmate’s fan art of his was ‘yaoi art.’ Now I have to meet him every day after school for, ‘lessons.’”

“So… does that mean we can’t walk home together?”

“Brian, I’ll be fine…” Vicky said, reassuring him.

The bus pulled to another stop, and a few more students trickled in. Namely, Vera and Valerie. The latter always carried her backpack with her, filled with all sorts of goodies.

_“Brian… set me free…!”_

“I… it’s like I can hear her now…” Brian mumbled as the bus continued to pick up students.

“Val, do you need help carrying your items to the shop today?” Vera asked.

“You can stop pretending to care. Even if I said yes, you’ll come up with a reason to not help…” Valerie answered.

“ _Brian…!”_

It was getting so much louder and clearer than before. He could practically _feel_ her inside that backpack!

“Y-you guys can’t hear that?” Brian asked.

“Hear what?” Oz asked as he boarded the bus.

“That voice… coming from Valerie’s bookbag!” Brian answered, but Valerie shook her head.

“Sorry, Green-bean. No purchases until I officially open shop,” Valerie answered, slinging her pack back onto her back.

“I’ll pay double for what you’re selling it for!” Brian decreed.

Her ears perked up at the sound of that. “Fifteen money,” she said.

Brian dug through his wallet, and Vicky’s, and gave Valerie thirty. “I’ll pay you back…” he said as he gave Vicky her wallet back.

After pocketing the dough, Valerie fished through her bag. She retrieved a rather thick book, bound in purple leather and sprouting gross teeth along the pages. “Knock yourself out,” the werecat said. “And remember, no refunds.”

The bus then stopped at the school as everyone filed out. Vicky and Oz stayed behind to keep Brian company as he observed the book. Even after stepping off the bus, Brian was transfixed by the mysterious tome. He peeled open the cover, which made a hideously foul screech as he looked across its pages.

“Brian, are you okay?” Vicky asked. But the big friend didn’t answer.

“Brian…?” Oz snapped his fingers in front of Brian’s face. “This book doesn’t look… right.”

Brian didn’t answer… he kept looking through the pages, filled with runes and diagrams… it looked like a spellbook. Vicky and Oz, as smart as they were, couldn’t recognize the language. However, Brian understood the book perfectly; it spoke to him.

“Zoe?” Brian finally asked. “A-are you in there?”

“Who’s Zoe?” Oz asked.

“It’s… _her_ ,” Brian answered. “She’s _in_ the book!”

Oz gave Vicky a worried look. He’s never seen his friend like this…

“Brian’s been dreaming about her for months now…” Vicky informed. “And yes, I’m worried about him too. But who knows… maybe it’s his soulmate!” Vicky then smiled as the three of them walked inside the school building.

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Amira was rushing to get ready for school… again. After having missed the bus, _again_ , she had to outsource her transportation. Thankfully, one beefy werewolf and one plucky ghost were eager to give her a lift.

“Thanks for the ride, guys,” Amira thanked.

“No problem, Boo~” Polly chimed as she pecked Amira on the cheek.

Surprisingly, Scott was pretty good behind the wheel. What he _wasn’t_ good at, however, was directions. Still, they made good time, and were able to make it to class before the first bell. Sure, they missed homeroom, but whatever; they were still able to make first period. They just chose not to attend. Time spent studying could better be spent pulling wicked pranks! Later, Polly and Scott retreated to the bathrooms, with Amira tagging along.

“You guys should’ve seen the look on Vice Principal Viper’s face! That old hag didn’t know what was coming to her!” Polly laughed.

“Good thing I took pics,” Amira said, holding up pictures of the aged cobra on her phone.

“Nice! Aww, she looks so sad…” Scott said, frowning, until Polly turned Amira’s phone upside down. “Oh! Now she looks happy!”

“Right… meanwhile, Amira, have you thought of your unassisted prank yet?” Polly asked. “Remember, it’s what you need to be an official Prank Masterz!”

“With a Z!” Scott reminded.

“Oh, of course I have!” Amira laughed. “Get a load of this: I’m gonna put a boa constrictor inside every single locker in the school!”

“How are you gonna do that?”

“Duh; Viper’s eggs.”

“But… aren’t those her babies?” Scott asked, feeling unsure.

“Yeah…” Polly muttered. “I dunno about you, but putting _baby_ snakes in lockers doesn’t have the same punch to it.”

“Fine… what about replacing all of the water with locusts?”

“Last time I did that, Damien nearly sued me.”

“What about making voodoo dolls of the Coven?”

“I tried that last Tuesday,” Polly huffed. “Besides, they knew how to undo the spell.”

“Ugh! I’ll come up with something,” Amira promised as the next bell rang.

“Oh boy! Lunchtime! AND it’s Fishstick Friday!” Scott cheered as the three of them headed towards the cafeteria.

“Wait!” Polly gasped. “You smell that?”

“Rotting meat and new book smell?” Scott wondered.

“Precisely!” Polly answered, before zeroing in on Brian, who happened to be sitting alone. He was still engrossed in the strange spellbook, still pondering how he could free the disembodied voice from it. “Now, that book looks like a good time if I’ve ever saw one!”

“Leave it to me…” Amira said as she walked over to her friend. “So… whatcha reading?” she asked, sitting next to him.

“Uh… nothin’ special.” Brian muttered.

“I see… mind if I take a look?” Amira asked innocently.

“Alright, what do you want?” Brian asked, not falling for Amira’s innocent act one bit.

“Just the book… I mean, you said it was nothing special, so you surely wouldn’t mind if I had a look, won’t you?” Amira asked, trying to grab the book from him. Brian, however, yanked it from her grasp.

“Nice try. I’m not letting you have this.”

“YOINK!”

Brian was still holding the book in his hands.

“Scott, you can’t just yell, ‘YOINK!’ You have to actually steal the book when you say it…”

“Yeah, like this. YOINK!” Amira yelled as Brian was distracted and quickly ran from him.

“HEY! GIVE THAT BACK!” Brian yelled, chasing her down. The zombie pursued Amira out of the cafeteria to the old hollow tree outside. Despite being a shambling corpse, Brian could be very fast… when he wanted to be. Amira barely kept her distance from him, before holding the book aloft for the Prank Masterz to see.

“Phase one of my prank, complete!” Amira cheered.

“Alright, on your way to a promotion, dear!” Polly cheered, kissing Amira square on the lips, causing her to drop the book. Luckily, Brian was there to catch it.

“What the hell is going on?!” he snapped.

“Aw, relax man,” Scott said, giving Brian a rather strong pat on the back. “We’re just looking to further our prank-itude!”

“Ch-yeah!” Polly laughed. “And a book like that’s gotta be filled with all sorts of crazy japes!”

“What? No, it’s a spellbook,” Brian answered. “I think.”

“Well, _I_ think you’re holding out on us,” Polly snickered. “What’s in the book?”

Brian just kept the book close to him, hearing a soft crying coming from it. “It’s okay, Zoe… I’m here…!” he whispered.

“Huh. Is it just me or is Brian acting extra loony today?” Polly wondered. “Who’s Zoe?”

“Sh-she’s in the book!” Brian said. “I have to get her out somehow!”

“In the book? Lemme see,” Polly said, snatching the book from Brian’s hands once more. She flipped through the many pages. “Huh… well, you were right. This _is_ a spellbook… for pranks! And I don’t see anything about a ‘Zoe’. Just all this stuff about a ‘Z’gord’ thing.”

“That… that’s her prefered name,” Brian answered, snatching the book back from her before Scott grabbed it.

“How do you even know what it says? I can’t read this…” Scott asked, and Amira grabbed it.

“You can barely read at all. But you’re right, it’s in some dead language I can’t understand,” Amira said as she tossed it to Polly.

“Fortunately for all of you, the only ones who can speak a dead language are _dead_ people!” the ghost snickered.

“Makes… makes sense…” Brian answered. “I might not be able to read this, but I can still hear her voice…! By the way, how come I can’t read it?”

“I dunno. Maybe you didn’t take the Intro to Venusuvian Class?” Polly guessed. “Looks like all these pranks are a tribute to Z’gord! And the last few pages look like a spell to summon her! Or, _it_. I dunno.”

“Her. She prefers to be referred to by feminine pronouns,” Brian corrected.

“To-may-to, to-mah-to,” Polly shrugged. “Let’s get to summoning!”

Then the bell rang.

“I think maybe we should head to class… we’ll meet after school?” Polly suggested.

“Sounds like a plan,” Amira answered.

“Only… without him. Prank Masterz only.”

“With a Z!” Scott cheered.

“Hey. My book. I paid thirty money for it. Either I’m in on this meeting or you’re not ‘summoning,’ anybody,” Brian snapped.

“Fiiine.” Polly grumbled, before drifting back into school. “But you’re gonna have to do a _loooot_ of pranks to make up for it.”

“Oh! He can be an intern for us!” Scott suggested.

“Intern?” Brian asked before Amira hopped onto his back.

“Yeah, an official Prank Masterz Intern! You can go grab us coffee and shit,” Amira answered as Polly floated back, grabbed a branch, and proceeded to, “hire,” him via pretend knighting.

“Brian, we hereby accept your application as intern to the PRANK MASTERZ!”

“With a Z!”

“Monetary compensation is minimal, but we’ll totally pay you in, ‘experience,’ if you know what I mean…”

“WINK!”

“Then it’s settled. After school, the four of us!” Polly announced before she phased out… If only she knew what they have started…


	2. The Prankening

“Ooh, look at the intro to THIS prank: ‘Apprentice summoners be forewarned, for the tortuous incantation below will instigate only carnage and despair, mutilation, and lamentation…’” Polly read.

“Uhh… what do all those words mean?” Scott asked.

“Oh, those are just the kinds of things prank lords write before their best pranks, so people will be too scared to do them. This prank MUST rule!” Polly cheered.

“Hooray!”

“Hooray…!” Amira droned on. Brian remained silent. The pair just watched as Polly and Scott went back and forth. This was… something.

“Wait! We don’t have all of the ingredients for this prank!” Scott complained as Polly translated the book’s contents in English.

“Aw, nuts. You’re right,” Polly huffed.

“I’m sure Brian and I could fetch them for ya. What do we need?” Amira asked.

“This one in particular requires the kidney of an Angel… but where are we supposed to find that?” Polly asked.

“Oh! We can go steal kidneys from… really nice people and say we need an operation?” Scott suggested.

“You know what? That doesn’t seem like a bad idea. So, who’s an angel?” Polly asked.

“I… I've got nothing,” Amira confessed.

“I hear that Lin-Manuel Miranda guy is a sweetheart!” Scott suggested.

“True, but technically he’s a god, not an angel. It wouldn’t work,” Polly mused.

“Maybe David Boreanaz?” Brian asked, speaking for the first time in this meeting.

“… You know what? That’s a great idea!” Polly cheered.

Over the course of the next two or three weeks, the four of them, well _three_ of them, were pranking up the wazoo. That first prank caused the floor to turn into lava, which thankfully fire-based monsters such as Amira and Damien were immune to. The second prank included a soul-sucking joy buzzer, leaving Amira temporarily possessed by a now dead werepelican classmate. Oh well; that can be sorted out later.

After a while, the resident Prank Masterz were eager to kick things up a notch… or six… hundred… thousand. As Polly flipped through the pages, she stumbled across _the_ prank to end all pranks.

“Well, looks like we’re gonna start prom off with a bang. Let’s summon Z’gord!” This certainly got Brian’s attention.

“Okay, we gotta summon Z’gord through a portal, right?” Amira wondered. “How are we supposed to find a portal?”

“Just gotta say this incantation, apparently,” Polly answered. “See, right here, in red.”

“Apparently you can also summon it with a totem…” Scott said.

“ ** _Her_ **,” Brian sternly corrected.

“But we don’t know where to find a totem…” Amira groaned. “I guess the portal’s our only option.”

Brian just let the three continue talking as he held the book close. “It’s alright, Zoe. I’ll come to rescue you soon enough…” Suffice to say, he had fallen in love with the beautiful voice. He has nary a clue as to what she looks like, but he didn’t care. He cared about her, and he wanted, _needed_ to meet her.

“ _Z’gord, O arbiter of pain, come drive us and our friends insane!”_  Brian read aloud. “Wait a second, tha—”

“ _Z’GORD, O ARBITER OF PAIN, COME DRIVE US AND OUR FRIENDS INSANE!_ ” Amira, Scott, and Polly kept chanting as Brian tried to talk over them…

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the gymnasium, Prom was happening. Oz nervously sat with Miranda and Damien at the table. “This was it; it’s now or never! Ask Miranda to dance with you!” Oz said to himself as he looked over to the newly crowned prom king and queen. Liam and Vicky looked so at ease…

“Miranda, I-I’m sorry you didn’t win prom queen…” Oz said.

“It’s fine…” Miranda answered. “I guess… Oh, I’m so disappointed!” Miranda complained, burying her head in her arms on the table. Oz then began to rub her back gently.

“There there…” he said. He was used to cheering up Vicky and _sometimes_ Amira like this, but trying to soothe Miranda was a bit of a challenge.

Damien, just had another shot of spiked punch, slamming it onto the table as he glared at the pair. “Oh my god, will you two just fuck already?!” he asked. He clearly knew Oz had the hots for Miranda.

Alright. It was now or never… “Miri… Miranda… can I… Can I have this da—”

**_FWOOOSH!_ **

“Uhh… What was that?”

The gymnasium started to shake. Rubble tumbled from the rafters and the lights flashed violently as a scream permated everyone’s minds. The very air itself seemed to shake and distort, as a burning wind started to tear through the building.

“Everybody, calm down!” Principal Giant Spider announced as he and Vice Principal Viper approached the microphone.

“Please leave the gym in an orderly fashion!” she instructed as the roof quickly disintegrated and the sky began to rain a mixture of blood, acid and normal rainwater, causing all of the electrical equipment to short circuit, killing the Principal and Vice Principal instantly.

Coach tried to get as many students as he could onto the bus, to see if they could find a way to escape the hell that has been brought upon them. Some students were able to escape. Others, not so much. Liam shielded Vicky from the strange rain that came from the sky as they made their escape. Vicky wanted to go back for her friends, but Liam carried her off, keeping her warm and dry.

The student body watched in horror as a dark shape rose from somewhere in the school. Purple tentacles, crooked smiles of jagged teeth, and green eyes… watching them. What was once a lovely dance between young high-schoolers quickly devolved into a nightmare that had just begun.

Needless to say, Scott and Polly were pleased with the results.

“WELCOME TO OUR NEW DARK LORD AND QUEEN PRANK MASTER!” Polly screamed over the howling winds. She just giggled as the winds threw her dress up a lá Marilyn Monroe. The other three students in their suits looked up, into the bright green eye.

“Haha! Look at the school! We just prank’d everyone at once!” Scott laughed. “Man, isn’t Z’gord just awesome?!”

“ ** _HER NAME IS ZOE!_ **” Brian said… at least the sentence was coming from Brian, but the voice certainly wasn’t his.

“Brian… Brian are you okay?” Amira asked.

“ ** _SILENCE MORTAL! WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR RELEASING ME?!_ **”

The three Prank Masterz all lines up side-by-side and knelt to Z’gord, currently, seemingly possessing Brian.

“Yes! It was us! Please… please let our friend go?” Scott whimpered.

“ ** _WELL… YOU HAVE ASKED NICELY. I SHALL GRANT YOU YOUR WISH, PRANK MASTER HOWL._ **”

“She called me a prank master!” Scott excitedly gasped, wagging his tail.

“Yo, Zoe! I can call you ‘Zoe’, right?” Polly began excitedly hovering to one of the unblinking eyes in the wall of flesh assimilating the school. “We, the Prank Masterz—”

“With a Z!”

“We seek to learn all your gnarly pranks! YOU ARE DA SHIT!”

“ ** _PR… ANKS? IS THAT WHAT YOU CALL MY ELDRITCH UNDOINGS OF REALITY? VERY WELL. I HEREBY INSTILL IN YOU FOUR THE MERCY FROM MY ULTIMATE PR’ANK._ **”

The four of them cheered before tentacles began to slither up Brian.

“ _Especially you, Brian…!_ ” she whispered in his ear, voice suddenly becoming the sweet haunting sound that Brian was familiar with.

The four just stared up at their new Queen as reality dissolved from all around them.


	3. What If? (Part 1)

Yup… that’s how it all happened. Vicky remembered that much clearly. How long has it been since Prom Night? A week? A month? Time didn’t feel right anymore. And to say that everything went to shit… well, it was a big understatement.

Vicky huddled nearby the makeshift fire Liam had set up. Despite the sky being set ablaze, the town was buffeted by icy winds. When she wasn’t running for her life from Z’gord’s horrors, she was reflecting.

After Z'gord took over, Miranda and Damien decided to join forces. Their armies suffered from skirmishes all over, but they were the biggest threat to Z’gord right now. When Vicky last heard from them, they were preparing to make one last desperate assault, Damien gathering his fathers and his army and Miranda gathering her sisters and her army...

Vera made a break for the Oberlin bunker. Valerie was hurt pretty badly during the initial chaos and the two have been holed up in there for days… or was it weeks? With the sun and moon having seemingly disappeared, she couldn’t tell the time.

The Slayer, The Coven… Oz… all of them were missing. Probably fighting for their lives, scattered over the remains of Monstropolis. Vicky hoped for the best… but she had to prepare for the worst.

She just looked over at Liam, still wearing his tux. He hasn’t spoken a word since all of this began… and she was worried sick about him. But the vampire was… lucky, perhaps. He didn’t need to eat, so Vicky could take whatever food they could scavenge. He rarely needed sleep, so he could take watch while Vicky rested. He was… immortal, right? If anyone could survive this catastrophe, it’d be him… right?

“Victoria, just staring into nothing isn’t going to get you fed or rested,” Liam reminded, snapping Vicky out of her trance.

“Hmm…? Sorry, I was just… remembering, I guess,” Vicky apologized as she scooted towards him, fixing her tattered prom dress. “You know, this is the first time you’ve spoken since… you know…”

“I know. This is… not cool.” Liam dryly said. Even now, he tried to keep his composure. Trying to pass this off as nothing more than an inconvenience. “I’ll be back in a moment. I should gather more fuel for the fire.” He planted a kiss on her forehead as he walked off.

As Liam gathered some distance from Vicky, he removed his gloves and rolled up his sleeves. His veins were starting to bulge, and small green blisters grew along his skin; they were going further up the arm. He tried to flex his fingers, but the joints were stiffening up.

“This venom… it’s getting worse,” Liam thought to himself, still wondering how he got this way in the first place. “I’ve never seen anything like it. I’ve never been this sick before…” He covered his arms and hands back up, gathered as much firewood as he could, and turned back to where he came, where Vicky was. He considered her lucky; even if this was contagious, he didn’t have to worry about spreading this mysterious disease to her.

He returned to find Vicky dozing off… He had to tell her eventually. He had to tell her he was essentially dying. For now, she thought he was invincible. If he didn’t tell her, she would only be even more heartbroken… when it actually happened.

But right now, he was just happy to see Vicky getting some rest. Hardly anyone was sleeping in this hellscape. It was as valuable as food or clean water, her wellbeing…

Liam stifled a cough. He hadn’t coughed in a few decades, and had forgotten what it felt like. His lungs felt rough, and he coughed up a sickly dark green fluid. He wiped the mess off his hand, and looked back at Vicky, still sleeping. How the hell should he break this to her?

For now, he placed the wood in the fire and sat beside her. While it was relatively quiet, he held her in his embrace. If anything happened to him or her, he wouldn’t know what to do… 

* * *

Elsewhere, Vera awoke with a start. There was a pounding on the bunker door. The locks were still firmly bolting the door shut, and Valerie was still beside her. Most of the blood had dried up, but her sister was still unresponsive. The gorgon got to her feet. The pounding continued, and a voice called out from the other side.

Her bunker spared no expense. Canned food, some fresh water, and warm enough to sustain the chaos outside. Nothing extraneous. Nothing unnecessary.

“Oberlin! We need your help! Please, it’s urgent!”

Vera cautiously approached the door. She didn’t have to see who was on the other side. “Leave me,” she spat harshly. “I have enough problems of my own to deal with.”

“We know,” the voice responded. “We know about Valerie.”

“What the hell do you—”

“Please… it’s Hope.”

There was silence from Vera. She started to unlatch the locks on her bunker, and popped the door open, only long enough for her visitors to rush in, and lock the door behind her. Oh great. The Coven. But they were worse for wear.

Joy’s apparel was tattered. Scars covered her bare arms and her eyes were drained of any vitality left. How long has it been since she had last eaten? Faith looked just as bad, but neither of them looked as bad as the smallest member, Hope. The third member of the Coven was limp in Faith’s arms, with a large hole in her dress, and a nasty wound in her head, still bleeding.

“Our healing spells aren’t enough. Whatever blight Z’gord infected this plane with, it’s weakening our magic. We can’t save her,” Faith trembled. “Please… help her.”

Vera coldly looked over the three of them. She didn’t need them. She had no reason to care for the Coven… but averting her eyes only made her look back at Valerie, still curled up, injured, and comatose.

“Your sister is hurt,” Joy remarked. “We can barely help her… but _you_ can help Hope. None of us want to lose any sisters.”

Vera sighed. “Set her on the table,” she remarked, and began to rummage through her cabinets. One last kit of medical supplies. She started to get to work, and within a few minutes, she helped patch Hope’s wound up.

“I’ve stabilized her,” Vera said simply, cleaning the rest of the blood off herself. “She’ll live.”

Joy’s response was hugging the taller woman tightly. “Thank you…!” she said through tears. “Please, let us stay. We’ll be of great help to you,” she promised.

“Unless you can save my sister, I do—”

“We’ll think of something,” Faith interjected. “We _will_ find a way to make it up to you. We swear by it.”

Vera just stared at these three thorns in her side. They were so goody-goody, it sickened her. But if they had a chance of helping Valerie, she figured she had nothing to lose if she allowed them to stay with her.

“Fine,” Vera said. “Don’t make me regret this,” she hissed.

 _“AAAAAAAAAH! LEMME IN LEMME IN LEMME IIIIN!”_ More shouting and pounding on the door. Whoever out there was _terrified_.

“Don’t think for a second th—!” Vera began, but the Coven girls were not here to turn anyone away. Someone was in need, and they were here to help.

Joy and Faith unlatched the locks, and opened the door, only for the Slayer, covered in scars, blood, and slime to claw her way inside the bunker.

“Close the door!” the Slayer yelled, looking more terrified than anyone’s ever seen her. “Quickly!”

Joy didn’t question it, and shut the heavy door with haste. A more powerful pounding resounding against the entrance, but the locks held strong, as others were screaming and crying from the other side. Ungodly roars and screeches soon took over, silencing the former noises with sounds of rending flesh and snapping bone. _They_ were here.

“You idiot!” Vera spat, grabbing the Slayer by her collar. “You lead them straight to us!”

“GET OFF OF ME!” she yelled, catching her breath, gaze going back to Valerie. “Oh my god, is she okay?! Val, Val, can you hear me?!” she yelled, showing great concern for her best friend.

“She’s been comatose since Prom Night…” Vera pointed out. “What do you want?”

The Slayer took a moment to regain herself. Her breathing was shaky, and she was a total mess.

“I just… I wanted to fight back,” she answered. “But… there’s too many of them. I-I saw the Wolfpack get torn to shreds… they didn’t stand a chance.”

“Aaravi, I—”

“DON’T CALL ME THAT, WITCH!” she boomed, the small girl practically shaking the room. “Only Val calls me that name, capiche?!”

Joy simply nodded. Vera stepped between the Coven and the Slayer. “Look, I get it. Things have gone to hell out there, and our only goal right now is to stay _alive_.”

“We can’t face Z’gord again. Not in our current state,” Faith reminded. “We’re injured, and Z’gord’s very presence is dampening our magic.”

“Not to mention we’re outnumbered a bajillion to one,” the Slayer said. “You can’t take two steps without being up to your knees in tentacles.”

“Please never put that image in my head again…” Vera groaned. “And the rest of you can all play wizard or whatever, but I’m staying here,” she said, turning her attention back to Valerie, whom the Slayer was currently holding in her arms.

“I’d never thought I’d say this… but where’s that conceited Prince when you need him?” Joy asked.

“In his own dimension. If _I_ were him, I wouldn’t want any part of this shitshow either,” the Slayer remarked. “He doesn’t care about this world as long as there’s no one to, ‘marry’ in it.”

The sounds of the growling outside started to grow further away. The immediate threat was gone…

“In any case, we’ll be safe here. And for the record, I’m _not_ letting anyone else in,” Vera sighed. 

* * *

Dozens lay dead in the streets. Buildings were demolished beyond recognition. The screams of the damned rode on the wind as the moon and the sun melted in the sky. At the center of it all, like the eye of the storm, was Z’gord’s massive mound of flesh.

Easily doubling the size of a skyscraper, Z’gord towered over the carnage, spreading her tentacles far and wide to spread chaos and destruction. And, her “generals of calamity”, the Prank Masterz, watched with her. Being a Prank Master was worth it, I suppose.

“Hah! Look at that dude!” Polly chirped. “His soul got turned into a three-cheese omelette! Classic!”

“No way! Is that a geyser of brains over there?!” Scott laughed.

As the werewolf and the ghost went sightseeing for more “pranks”, Amira lagged behind, following Brian.

“Well, how does it feel to be an _official_ Prank Master?” she asked him, feeling smugly proud of the scale of their efforts.

“Uh… It’s cool, I guess.” Brian muttered. “Uh, hey… you think… I have a chance with Zoe?”

“Of course. You’re the one that summoned her.” Amira reminded. “That, and you’re still alive with the other Prank Masterz. I’m sure you’ve got some brownie points with her.”

“Yeah… but. Do you think she _likes_ me?” Brian continued. “Like, _like_ likes me?”

“I mean, maybe?” Amira shrugged. “Like, I’m sure an elder god bent on destroying everything in existence probably has good taste in dudes. Don’t sweat it.”

“Yeah… I guess you’re right.” Brian nodded. “You know what? I’m gonna go for it. I’m not just gonna be _any_ old Prank Master. I’m gonna be _her_ Prank Master!”

“That’s the ticket.” Amira chuckled, giving him a pat on the back as she shoved him towards the towering purple monstrosity. “Go get ‘em, tiger.”


	4. If/Then

“Victoria. Vicky, wake up,” Liam whispered. His hand nudged the patchwork girl awake, causing her to slowly open her eyes. The two had camped out here for some time… their fire was reduced to a pile of hot coals and cinders.

“Something’s coming,” the vampire warned. Hunched over, he grabbed a nearby pipe from the surrounding wreckage, and paused, ready to take a swing at anything that came close.

Vicky was dead silent, but she could only hear two things. Footsteps, growing closer, and her own pulse pounding in her ears as the terror set in. She grabbed a piece of firewood, still smouldering at one end, as her own makeshift weapon.

The footsteps grew louder, closer. Ragged breathing was also heard, and the footsteps sounded irregular… was it limping? A familiar face rounded the corner. A dark, thin monster, wearing a yellow suit jacket stained with blood. Vicky knew that face anywhere.

“OZ!” Vicky screamed as she ran to him and hugged him. “Oz, oh my god, I’m so glad you’re okay!” she cried as she held onto him. His gasping caused her to let go. He was struggling to breathe. There wasn’t a scratch on his own body, but he looked… grey. There was something in his hands… a golden crown, cracked and stained red with blood. “What happened…?”

“V-Vicky…” Oz sobbed, dropping to his knees. “Sh-she’s gone…”

“Who? Who’s gone?” Liam asked as he assisted Vicky in carrying Oz to their little shelter.

Oz could barely answer. He was shaking too hard to get another word out. He just… presented the crown to the other two, tears streaming from his eyes.

“Oz… Oz, I’m so sorry!” Vicky cried as she hugged him once again, careful not to suffocate him again. Oz just hugged back, with all his might, but his own embrace was weak. He hardly had any strength left in him. Liam took the crown in his hands, observing it for himself. He then sat down beside the two.

“I… I could only watch as she…!” Oz began, but he couldn’t bear to recall the sight of it again. “I should have done something! Anything!”

“What-Ifs aren’t going to bring her back…” Liam lamented, still holding the only thing left of Miranda, her crown. Oh, how she proudly wore it on her head… but now she can’t anymore.

“S-something’s… happening to me,” Oz continued. “I-I feel so… empty and hollow,” he said, looking at his own hands. He was a skinny guy to begin with, but he looked even thinner and frailer than before. The black essence that made him up was starting to get paler…

“Fear…” Liam spoke up. “Oz, you are fear personified, correct?”

He slowly nodded.

“You’re dying, Oz, because fear is depleting rapidly.”

“But that doesn’t make sense!” Vicky pointed out. “Shouldn’t the fear of Z’gord from monsters make him stronger?”

“If my hypothesis is correct, that isn’t how it works,” Liam sadly explained, sitting back down with the others. “Z’gord has extinguished nearly all life. A population of billions is now down to a few thousand, maybe a few hundred, and that’s being generous. It’s not that there’s no fear left. It’s just that there isn’t enough to sustain Oz. As more die, there will be less people to _be_ afraid… His own terror is holding him together, but… I’m afraid that might not be enough.”

Oz just sat there, still clinging to life. Vicky kept holding him in her arms, and he held back. “Why?” he began, still tearing up. “Why would they do this to us?”

“Who?” Vicky asked. “You… you know who did this?”

Oz just looked at the both of them, afraid to answer…

* * *

Back at the Oberlin Bunker, Hope awoke with a start. She shot up, and gasped as she was awake for the first time in while. Her head was spinning already, and her stomach was in knots, and it took some time for her senses to adjust themselves. She laid her hand on her head to sooth the pain, only to feel gauze wrapped over her eye. The last thing she remembered was her magical barrier breaking… and then, darkness.

The bunker was dim. The light bulb was conserving power… but the sounds of Z’gord’s spawn were nowhere to be heard. She looked around. Faith and Joy were asleep too. Hope sighed with relief, knowing her sisters were safe. Strange… the Slayer was here, too. As well as Vera? And… a sixth person.

Hope could sense life force within others… everyone else seemed fine, but this sixth life force was very weak. Getting to her feet, Hope slowly crept by the other sleeping girls, and approached Valerie. Hope had only remembered seeing her a couple of times before, but if she was in this bunker, someone must’ve cared a lot for her.

Hope’s magical power hadn’t fully diminished yet. She could be the edge the Coven needs in a battle against Z’gord. But… someone needed her magic more. Placing her hands over Valerie’s shoulders, Hope transferred her magic to replenish Valerie’s vitality, whispering an incantation as her palms glowed with a pinkish light.

Valerie’s body shuddered for a brief moment, until the magic fizzled out, and the werecat sat up straight. Her eyes shot open, hair on end.

“Easy, easy!” Hope said in a hushed tone. “It’s okay, you’re safe.”

“Ugh… what? Why am I in the bunker?” Valerie groaned, trying to get the blood down from her head.

“Z’gord is loose,” Hope explained. “It’s… not looking pretty out there.”

“How bad?”

“Billions dead. Rivers running with blood and bile. Purple abominations roaming the countryside devouring anything they can find.”

“Fuck…”

“I would have been slain if Faith and Joy hadn’t brought me here… Vera must be more generous than I give her credit for.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” Valerie huffed.

As if on cue, a tremor shook the bunker, and the rest of the girls started to wake up. As soon as Vera saw Valerie was awake, she went to hug her.

“Vera… you don’t have to pretend…” Valerie reminded.

“I’m not pretending,” Vera argued, not breaking her embrace. This made Valerie purr and hug back. “I thought I lost you…!”

“It’s okay, sis,” Valerie said, returning the hug. “I’m still here. I’m not going anywhere.”

The two are interrupted by a soft sobbing. The Slayer was just watching this and was clearly touched. “I… I wasn’t crying,” she said, wiping away her tears before she ran to give Valerie a bone-crushing hug. Thankfully, it didn’t really crush her bones.

“I missed you too, Double-A,” Valerie whispered before kissing her on the cheek.

Afterwards, she went to go hug the members of the Coven. “We’re just glad you’re alright,” Hope said, knowing what it was she just did.

“Hope… what did you do?” Joy asked, because she, and everyone else for that matter, didn’t know.

“I… I used the last of my magic up,” Hope answered. “Valerie needed it more than I do.”

“You’re such an idiot…” Faith groaned as she hugged Hope.

“A generous, selfless idiot…” Joy added as she joined into the group hug.

“So… now what?” Vera asked, causing everyone to stare at her. “Valerie’s alive and well, yes, but what about what’s outside? The world is pretty much dying.”

“Well, with only two magic users as opposed to three,” Joy began. “Faith and I need all the help we can get to defeat Z’Gord.”

“Hey, I can still fight! I just can’t fight with magic anymore,” Hope remarked.

“Don’t you know anything about class-based RPGs?” the Slayer argued. “Any team without a healer is as good as dead.”

“I also know some healing magic, even though they’re not my main spells,” Faith pointed out.

“Fine… but if Hope’s gonna trade her magic for weapons combat, I’m gonna help her,” the Slayer added as she sat down next to the smallest witch.

“What about me and Vera? You need our help?” Valerie asked.

“No! You just got healed up and Vera… no offense, but she’s not much of a fighter,” Joy answered.

“As much as I hate to admit it, she’s right. I usually don’t get my hands dirty if I don’t need to,” Vera admitted. “So what do you suggest we do?”

“Unless you have some secret supplies in store, no pun inteded, I’m afraid there’s not much you can do,” Joy answered. Valerie, thankfully, still had her backpack. She began digging through it and began to search for something, anything that could be useful.

“Sexy fake accent? No. Badass tattoo? Nuh-uh. Hmm… Blood of an Angel?”

“I was wondering where that went!” Joy snapped as she grabbed the vial. “Unfortunately, this could only be used against the literal actual devil SATAN HIMSELF!”

“Joy, we’re in a reasonably-sized bunker. You don’t need to shout,” Faith pointed out as Joy pocketed the Angel’s Blood before reaching for her money.

“Hey, for you guys, no charge,” Valerie said as she kept on rummaging through her knapsack of goods she never had the chance to sell. Then she stumbled upon something else…

“What is that?” Faith asked, referring to the small purple item.

“Not sure… Probably nothing,” the cat girl answered as she pocketed the little doll-like item.

* * *

Meanwhile, Polly and Scott were relaxing on their lavish thrones made of pizza boxes and skeletons, being served by small tentacle monsters. Now that Amira and Brian were promoted, they needed new interns.

Speaking of Amira and Brian, the djinn was watching as Brian was trying to talk with Z’Gord. The two really seemed to hit it off.

“ _Brian, do you like it? You think I’m good at this Pr’anking thing?_ ” Zoe asked. Of course, only Brian could hear her voice.

“You’re… you’re doing great, Zoe…” he answered.

“ _What’s wrong? Is everything okay?_ ” she asked again, caressing his cheek.

“I just… I don’t know… I figured things would turn out differently,” Brian answered, sitting down, Zoe’s tentacles softly hugging him.

“ _What… what do you mean?_ ”

“I mean, the world is pretty much dying, which is a shame since I wanted you to meet all of my friends.”

“ _Could you tell me about them?_ ”

“Well, there’s Vicky. She… she was actually my first friend. Shortly after I woke up as a zombie, I saw her in the distance. You’re gonna love her; she’s a sweetheart,” Brian began, counting his friends on his fingers.

“Oz, well, he’s nice and all, pretty smart. I mean, we became friends after a science project. To be honest, though, he’s kind of a chicken. But he can be brave when he wants to be. He’s probably one of my best bros out there.

“The other being Scott. But you already know him. He’s a big, lovable doofus. Not the brightest bulb, but he’s always there if you need a shoulder to cry on.

“Polly, on the other hand, she’s not for the sappy stuff. But she knows how to party. No, I take that back. She sees you’re bummed out and she’ll probably invite you to the biggest, dopest party around.

“Then we have Miranda. You and her would probably have a lot in common. I mean, you’re both cute. Frankly, she’s not as cute as you. Pretty sure Oz has a crush on her, too. I hope he and Miranda finally hit it off.

“Liam… I’ll be honest, I don’t like him very much. But I can’t hate the guy either. He’s Vicky’s boyfriend. I actually used to be worried about the two of them together but after hearing she got to go to prom with him, I hope he’s treating her right.

“Damien, on the other hand, I can’t stand! He’s a brute force who results to nothing but violence. But even he has a soft side. After we all graduate, I kinda hope he fulfills his dream and becomes a famed hairdresser, or drag racer, or both.

“Vera, meanwhile, has sky-high ambitions. She’s mean, yes, but she also has her tender moments. Outside of business, she… she’s a family woman. She’ll pretend not to care for them but we all know she does.

“And you already met Amira. She’s a hothead, but to be honest, I just love butting heads with her. Despite all of that, she’s the one who gets me the most… you know?” Brian finished.

“ _I… I think I do…_ ” Zoe answered.

Little did either of them know that Amira was watching in the distance. So that’s what Brian really thought about her? It was kinda sweet, actually. And to think that Brian, who never really talked much anyway, would go into such detail when describing the people he cared about. She wiped away a tear and just sat as this tender moment continued, as the world continued to crumble around them.


	5. It Only Gets Worse

Vicky was carrying Oz as the three of them continued to trek through what was left of their little town. But where could they go? As far as they knew, life has been almost completely obliterated. If they were lucky, they could stumble into an Interdimensional Rift and find themselves in the Prince’s Dimension, seeking shelter. If he’d want anything in compensation, he’d ask for one of them, or all of them, to marry him. That’s the best case scenario for right now.

The trio stopped for a while to set up another camp. Vicky was tired. Now that electricity was scarce, she felt tired out more often, and she can’t charge herself as much as she needed to. If they somehow make it out alive, she’s switching to a solar battery for herself.

Oz was barely holding on. His body was getting more frail and grey, and the look in his eyes showed that he was… just broken. Even after all he’s been through, he never loosened his hold on Miranda’s crown, the only thing he had left of his true love.

Liam draped them both with his tux jacket as they slept, revealing to himself that this mysterious disease on his skin has deteriorated even further. He could feel the muscles in his fingers growing stiff and rigid. If this went untreated for much longer, he might just lose use of his whole hand… That’s it. When she wakes up, he’s telling her, so at the very least she could find an antidote, or that the news will soften the blow when he does pass.

Things weren’t good. None of them would last much longer. If Z’gord’s aberrations didn’t get to them, they would all run themselves dry. If he had to hypothesize who would be the last to succumb to their limitations, he hoped that it would be Oz. That way, Vicky wouldn’t have to die alone. Frankly, at this rate, Liam was set to leave realm of the, “living,” first.

But perhaps their, “departure,” would be sooner than anticipated. A low, guttural roar shook the air.

“What was that?!” Oz shrieked.

“I don’t know,” Liam answered. “And _that’s_ what terrifies me.”

The ground started shaking. Footsteps. Hundreds of them. And they were closing in, fast.

“No… no!” Oz stammered. He never looked more terrified, and that's saying a lot. “Not again!”

Emerging from the ruins of the buildings was a swarm of purple creatures. Vaguely humanoid in shape, these monstrosities poured out of the ruins like ants, sent by the queen to pillage and raid. Purple in color, randomly crafted with tentacles, fangs, pincers, and unblinking green eyes.

“Run!” Vicky yelled, and she quickly began running as far as her feet could take her and Oz. Then she realized that Liam wasn’t following her…!

“Oz, stay here, I’m going back for Liam,” Vicky instructed as she sat him down, took off her heels, and began to run back for Liam.

“Wait! Vicky, no!” Oz shouted, left behind as Vicky ran back _towards_ the horde. Oz has seen these creatures before, and he witnessed firsthand what they’ve wrought. He’s seen someone die before, someone else he cared for deeply. And he didn’t want it to happen again.  “VICKY!”

Vicky’s only thought process was to find Liam and make sure he got out of there. Even as these tentacle monsters were attacking her, she kept running. She was covered with welts by the time she spotted Liam. What she saw sent her in a panic.

Liam was surrounded by the purple creatures. They prowled around him, like a pack of starved, voracious wolves sizing up a bison for the kill. But it wasn’t the creatures that alarmed her. No, it was Liam’s arm. It was rotting itself to the bone, complete with putrid green acid. She had to get him out of there!

Liam soon spotted that Vicky had come back for him. He wanted to call out, but he could see the green rash that soon covered her skin. She was coming to rescue him, dooming herself to the same fate as he… and Liam felt true fear for the first time in many, _many_ years.

“Liam! Don’t worry! I’m getting you out of there!” Vicky called out as she continued to get knocked aside by the tentacle monsters. But each time she got knocked down, she got right back up again, determined to rescue her love. Finally, she reached him… and then death struck in the form of lightning from the endless storm above them.

Just like that, she fell limp in Liam’s arms, the life instantaneously leaving her eyes. The stitches holding her very body together started to come loose. Her body was falling apart, but Liam’s own arms kept her together as he went down with her…

“Victoria… Vicky, can you hear me…?” he asked. No answer came. Then he felt on his face for the first time in over four hundred years, a tear. Several to be exact. Liam was actually crying… “You didn’t have to do that…” he whispered as he held her to him before kissing her fully dead lips with his own, for the first and last time. Vicky didn’t get to live long enough to actually experience her first kiss…

The creatures moved on for their next prey. They didn't need to kill Liam. Their venom would take care of him soon enough. And with that, they went past the only monster they couldn’t kill directly, Oz. He himself was limp-running towards where Vicky went. Each step was more agonizing than the last. He was already struggling to find any hope left… and now there was none.

Oz’s first sight when he reached the clearing was Liam, holding Vicky in his arms. Oz collapsed, crawling to Vicky’s lifeless body, drowning in his own sobs. “No… no, no, no!” he begged, taking her limp hand into his own, hoping to find some electrical pulse.

“She’s gone…” Liam confirmed, choking back a sob himself.

“It should’ve been me…! IT SHOULD’VE BEEN ME!” Oz cursed, slamming his fist against the cold ground beneath him. Still shaking, and still sobbing, he looked back at the crown in his hand. “It… should’ve been—”

“Oz, leave…” Liam ordered, voice stern as he laid Vicky down, his amber eyes staring into Oz’s pale ones. “Just leave. Run as far and as fast as you can… and leave us be.”

Oz was tired. Tired of the death. Tired of running. Tired of being so helpless. His fists trembled, clenching hard enough to draw blood, if he could. It was a miracle he had any ounce of strength left, but he soldiered on. Oz got to his feet, limping on, crying loudly as he turned his back on a friend.

Which is more than what could be said for Liam. He laid down right next to Vicky, using one arm to embrace her and the other to write something in the sand. If there were any survivors, _any at all_ , they could at least read his message. At least he was able to finish his message before he breathed his last.

Liam and Vicky’s bodies began to rapidly rot as the tentacles came back to surround them. As if posing for a sick, twisted aerial shot, they formed a heart around the lovers and Liam’s final message. All that was left of them was their skeletons holding each other.

* * *

 

Oz continued through the wasteland he once called home. Now, the only thing at home here is death, carnage, and sorrow. The hot wind burned at his hollowing body, but he kept going. His limping leg slowed him down, but he kept going. Crown still in hand, Oz didn’t stop. His cheeks were dry… he had no more tears left.

How long had he been wandering? His legs started to weaken even further as fear left the world. He was shuffling at his knees, but he kept going. His vision was leaving him… everything went white. He kept going. Even reduced to crawling, dragging himself across arid, sharp sand, he continued on. He had to. There was nowhere else for him to go, but forward.

Oz could no longer see. He could no longer cry. His legs could no longer carry him, but he never let go of the crown. It was all he had left… all he could cling to was this golden tiara of the princess he treasured so deeply. The only thing left of the home he can’t go back to.

And with that, he collapsed and fell in the sand. He had gone blind, his last memory being that of seeing one of his best friends run straight towards her death. Oz rolled onto his side, clutching the crown in his hands as he waited for the end…

“OZ!”

The end sounded like a stubborn rebel who kept skipping class… his oldest friend.

Amira was wandering around when she saw Oz lying down, pale as a ghost. Immediately, she sprinted to his side. “Oh my God, what happened to you?” Amira asked. “I hardly recognized you. You look like hell.”

Yes, her voice was clear to him now. He never knew just how badly he wanted to hear someone. “Amira? Is… that you?”

“Well, yeah… you alright?” she asked.

Oz should be feeling relief, but instead he felt anger. He felt around for her body and felt his hand hold her cheek.

“Dude, are you al—?”

Amira was cut off when this withered young man slapped her across the face. He could never harm a fly and yet he had the nerve to slap her?!

“What the hell was that for?!”

“Liam is dead. _Miranda_ is dead. **_Vicky_ ** is _dead_ ,” Oz growled, his voice rough and dry as sandpaper. “The entire world is burning to the ground! DOES IT LOOK LIKE I’M ALRIGHT?!” Oz snapped. He might’ve been blind but he knew his glare cut through Amira, and he knew he was grabbing onto her jacket and pulling himself up. But as quickly as his anger flared up, he failed to sustain it, so he let go of her and fell flat on the ground again.

“Amira… I’m scared. I’m dying and I’m scared,” he whispered. “I’m scared of a lot of things: spiders, heights, drowning… but there’s one fear that’s worse than the others. I don’t want to be alone.” His hand felt around for Amira again. He found her hand, and his fingers grasped at hers. His grip was weak. Very weak, but the way his own arm was shaking showed that it was all he had left. “Don’t leave me alone…”

“You’re dying…?” Amira asked as she let Oz rest in her lap.

“There’s nobody left in the world to be afraid,” Oz said. “Not enough to keep me alive.”

“You’re still afraid…”

“I always have been,” Oz admitted. “It’s not enough. I’m sorry.”

“No… if anyone should be sorry, it’s me,” Amira argued. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please… don’t leave me…!” she begged.

“I wish I could see you…”

Oz’s body hardly weighed anything. His form was white as snow, and cold to the touch. He was barely moving anymore, and the crown slipped out from his fingers. Before Amira could get another word out, she found herself holding his torn prom suit… with nobody inside.

Off to the side, another  friend started to come upon Amira, arted to run towards them, but stopping as he watched in horror of his friend.. Dying? Watching as this happened. What he thought he saw was a happy reunion between two of his friends turned into funeral.

“Amira… tell me this is just some sick fucking joke.”

Amira gasped as she suddenly turned around, seeing Brian standing right behind her. The djinn turned quickly, and as Brian saw the tears in her eyes, he could tell this was no joke.

“We… we went too far,” Amira cried, dropping Oz’s suit to the ground as she stood up. “Th-they’re gone. And it’s _our_ fault.”

“I’m… sorry? _Our_ fault?!” Brian snapped. “Amira, this is **your** fault!”

“How is this all MY fault?!” Amira asked, still crying.

“This wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t tried stealing my book!”

“You _bought_ the damn thing!” Amira roared, her flame growing higher. “ _You’re_ the one in love with that damn deity!”

“Her name is Zoe!” Brian snapped. “Also, don’t be such a hypocrite, saying I’m at fault for wanting to speak with her when every single one of your actions related to this were just to get in with the Prank Masterz!”

“How can you keep justifying all this?!” Amira asked, gesturing to the burning wasteland around them. “Everyone is dead, Brian!”

Brian just froze as Amira gave him that information. Everyone was… dead? And then he saw what was around for the first time. All this time he was focused on trying to romance Zoe, while the world was dying around them. And their friends… “… What…?”

“You… you heard me!” Amira cried, shoving Oz’s torn suit in his face. “He died in my arms… but not before saying that Vicky died too.”

… Vicky… she’s gone? The monster he saw as a sister to him, his first friend ever was… gone?

“Was it still worth it?” Amira spat. “All this so you could get your girl? I hope you’re happy.” She began to walk away when Brian grabbed her by the shoulder. “Let me go!” Amira began to fight against his strong grip to no avail; Brian wasn’t gonna let go of her.

“Amira… the idea of saving her was not supposed to end like this with you and those two pulling some dumb fucking pranks!” The zombie yelled at her, his grip not wavering. “YOU ALL WANTED TO SEE SOME DUMB PRANKS, NO MATTER EVEN IF SOMEONE FUCKING DIED!”

“The fuck are you talking about?!”

“And you say I’m oblivious to all of this! Though to be fair, I should’ve seen this coming when your pranks literally killed people!”

“You had a hand in this, too! You’re just as guilty as I am!”

“I TRIED TO STOP YOU!”

“LIKE HELL YOU DID! DON’T ACT LIKE YOU DIDN’T WANT TO SUMMON Z’GORD!”

“HER NAME IS **ZOE**!”

And with that, Amira singed his arm as she wrestled him off of her. Brian in turn made his way to bite her. The two duked it out until Amira had Brian pinned down on his stomach. For a while, the two were silent, waiting for the other to make their next move.

The bitter silence between the two was broken by two screams piercing the air. The first of Z’gord, her voice splitting both mind and eardrums with a horrid screech. The second, much more mortal, but nearly drowned out by the first.

Brian quickly rushed over in the direction of the noise, worrying for Zoe’s own safety. Amira, however, was afraid that someone _else_ was in danger.

* * *

 

The Slayer kept one hand gripped on her sword, twisting it into the tentacle that was crushing her own body. Neither of them gave an inch. At this rate, the Slayer would suffocate, leaving only a minor wound on Z’gord as a whole.

“We must rescue the Slayer!” Joy shouted, blasting through hordes of purple creatures with blasts of lightning.

“She’s keeping Z’gord distracted!” Faith remarked, forming a barrier between the witches and Z’gord’s spawn. “If we can draw her attention, you can land a finishing blow!”

“ ** _FOOLS! Z’GORD IS ALL KNOWING! Z’GORD IS ALL SEEING!_ **”

“Gggh! Don’t worry about me!” the Slayer shouted, struggling to even breath as the tentacle continued crushing her chest.

Hope, meanwhile, hopped on and attempted to cut the tentacle holding the Slayer off using a sword that was even bigger than she was. Surprisingly, it was successful, and the Slayer was able to breathe again.

“Th-thank you…!” she thanked, trying to catch her breath.

“You’re welcome, Slayer,” Hope replied, helping her up.

“... You know what? You can call me Aaravi!” she chuckled.

With a sharp blast of light, a spectral sword cleaved through the sea of monstrosities, ruining this otherwise heartwarming moment. “You can worry about names later! The sooner we seal Z’gord, the better!” Joy shouted.

The four girls stood together as they faced the monstrous overlord. The two magic users and two fighters were prepared to succeed, but all expected to fail and lose their lives.

“ ** _YOU ARE BUT MAGGOTS, WRITHING IN MUD! YOUR SUCCESS IS MERELY A TRICK OF THE LIGHT…_ **”

“We need to heal! Quick!” the Slayer shouted.

“I’M WORKING ON IT!” Joy shouted back, doing her best to repair her comrade’s wounds. Her spell washed over the others in a greenish light, only to lightly stitch up scars and cuts. Joy’s power was also fading fast.

“We can’t heal fast enough!” Faith remarked. “We must focus the rest of our magic to deal damage!”

The Slayer and Hope went right back to fighting, using their small size to their advantage. However, it wasn’t much of an advantage when Z’gord was omniscient.

“ ** _MAGES… WARRIORS... IT MATTERS NOT. YOU WILL ALL BLEED THE SAME._ **”

More tentacles closed in on the magic-less duo, spewing a miasma of poisonous smoke. They then bound the pair, as well as the duo whose magic was slowly but surely depleting.

“ _You all look so… cute together…_ ” Z’gord giggled, voice suddenly light and airy, almost… feminine. “ _Such a shame all of you have to die for keeping me away from love and freedom!_ ” This confused the foursome greatly.

“L-Love?!” Aaravi asked, coughing. “Who would love you?!” She immediately regretted asking that question, as the tentacle around her responded by crushing her, snapping a rib or two.

“Umm… that would be me,” a dull, tired voice answered. The Slayer looked down, to see Brian standing among the chaos, seemingly unfazed by the purple monstrosity.

“What?!” Hope gagged. “HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY—AAGH!”

“ZOE! LET THEM GO!” Brian ordered. The rest of them just stared at him, thinking he’s gone insane. He must’ve if he thought that he could simply tell this thing what to do and it would listen to him.

“What did you just call it?” Hope asked, still strained under the massive appendage still threatening to strangle her.

“ **Her**. Her name is Zoe!” Brian corrected.

The Slayer and Hope exchanged glances. “He’s gone mad,” the Slayer grumbled.

“ _Brian… are you certain I should let them go? They might end up hurting me… Can I at least crush the other two?_ ”

“Let them all go, please.”

After a moment’s hesitation, the four girls were released. Hope immediately went to assist Aaravi who still had broken ribs.

“What in the hell is going on?” the Slayer cursed. “It actually _listened_ to him?”

“That’s impossible,” Faith mused. “The Dark Deity shouldn’t take answers from anyone!”

“I think we should at least be grateful it let us go at all!” Joy warned, seeing the tentacle preparing to grab them again.

“You!” the Slayer shouted, pointing over at Brian. “It listens to you! Make it leave this realm!”

“She’s not an _it_ ! She’s a _she_!” Brian snapped.

“ _You’re_ not going to be anything for much longer if you don’t help us! The very fate of reality is at stake, any you’re concerned about its  _pronouns_?!” Aaravi snapped, pointing her sword at Brian’s throat.

Big mistake.

Before she knew it, Aaravi was met with another tentacle, crushing her to death before either of them could blink. It tossed her lifeless body aside, to the Coven’s horror.

“ ** _DON’T YOU TOUCH HIM!_ **”

Before the Coven can react, Z’gords minions had the trio surrounded. More disgusting limbs held them in place, keeping them restrained as a massive green eye loomed above them. Was it… crying?

“ ** _I CANNOT ALLOW YOU TO HURT HIM!_ **”

The storm loomed above the three of them, ready to strike. Knowing that this was the end, the three shared a hug with each other. Sickly green lightning stirred above them, and the thunder boomed with their screams.

Brian just watched as Zoe slaughtered them. He immediately ran towards her as the corpses of the Coven were discarded of.

“Zoe! This… this isn’t what I wanted!”

“ _They were going to hurt you, Brian! I had to do what I did to protect you!_ ”

“They didn’t have to die!” Brian rebutted. “Nobody did!”

“ _… Brian… you’re really upset, aren’t you?_ ” Zoe asked as the tentacle minions went from murderous to nurturing, caressing the zombie.

“I… I’m sorry. I thought that freeing you, bringing you into this world wouldn’t be so… disastrous. But… my friends are gone.”

“ _What do you mean?_ ” Zoe asked.

“They’re… dead. I-I never wanted them to end up like this. The worst part is, I wasn’t even there for them… and it’s my fault.”


	6. What If? (Part 2) + Epilogue

Elsewhere, Amira was contemplating whether to confront Polly and Scott or follow Brian to be there for him. She had to admit that she fucked up, yes. But what was she to do? Eventually, Amira decided to go to where she saw Scott and Polly last: roasting marshmallows over the fire.

“This is the life. Being waited on hand and foot is just, like, Heaven you know?” Polly asked as the tentacle minions massaged her ghost feet.

“Living in a prankster’s paradise!” Scott howled as he snacked on the marshmallow goodness. Neither were aware of Amira approaching them.

Amira was about to say something when she noticed something by her foot. It looked like a message in the sand, and she removed her foot so she could read it more clearly: _THIS IS THE DARKEST TIMELINE_

What she saw next disturbed her further: two skeletons right next to the words in the sand, right beside her. The only part of them that didn’t rot away save for their bones was their hair. She was able to recognize that white streak and man bun anywhere… and Polly and Scott were cooking almost right next to them.

“Yo! Whassup, red?” Polly laughed, waving the djinn over as she spotted her. “You’re lookin’ kinda glum.”

“Have you not been paying attention to _anything_ that’s been happening around you?!” the djinn snapped. “Notice anything different?”

Scott was the only one who actually looked around. What he pointed out wasn’t the fact that the sky had been swallowed whole and replaced with endless storm clouds, or that ninety percent of the buildings have been reduced to rubble. “Uhh… Where are all of our friends?” he asked. “They should be enjoying this prank with us!” God, he really was dense. Surprisingly, there was someone more dense than even he was.

“They’re probably all at home,” Polly answered. “Got their thongs in a knot and decided to take it like a bunch of babies because they can’t handle being pranked on such a grand scale.”

Amira’s fists were shaking. How could she say that?! She looked back down at the ground. She apologized under her breath, and picked up Liam’s and Vicky’s skulls. At least these two were smart enough to recognize a man bun and a set of fangs. “You call _this_ a _prank_?!” She shoved the other skull in Scott’s face, his nostrils stuffed with hair even poofier than his. “How about this?! Huh?!”

“Whoa! Cool! I didn’t know Liam decided to keep a skeleton of himself!” Polly chuckled.

“Yeah, but why would he have one of Vicky?” Scott asked, showing _some_ self-awareness, at least.

“Oh! Vicky’s dad is a doctor, ain’t he? But why would he have a skeleton of his daughter and Liam? Creepy much?”

These two were getting on Amira’s last nerve. Damn, they were both hot, but the fact that neither of them seem to have ANY idea of what was going on made her want to scream.

“When was the last time you saw Damien? Or Miranda? Or Oz? Or Vera?” Amira began again. “Literally anyone else? Think hard.”

“Uhh… last time I saw any of them, they were getting ready for Prom…” Scott answered.

“Good… okay. What else?”

“That’s pretty much it.” Polly answered. “Your point?”

Amira wanted to strangle that dead ghost girl, but she can’t. She just placed the two skulls back down, returning them to their respective skeletons. The only way to get through to them was to be blunt, it seems.

“They’re dead. All of them,” she answered flatly. She just couldn’t take it anymore.

“Wait…” Scott said, a whimper crawling up his throat. “What do you mean _dead_?”

“Killed. Murdered. Axed. Missing but presumed dead. As far as I know, we’re the only people alive left.”

“Hold up… if they’re dead, shouldn’t they all be joining us as ghosts or zombies or whatever?” Polly asked, feeling offended.

“If _reality wasn’t dying_ , they probably would. But they’re not. And… it’s all our fault.”

Polly’s face remained flat. Scott’s, however, looked like he was about to cry.

“What… what have we done…?” Scott asked, curling into a ball.

“Uhh, pulled the biggest prank in history?” Polly answered. The fact that the global population was 99.99999999% extinct didn’t seem to phase her, but Scott, despite his lack of intelligence, understood perfectly.

“Oh no…” Scott whimpered. “Bad Scott…” he told himself, crying. He then felt Amira rubbing his back.

“You’re not bad…” Amira reassured him. “Listen. We’ve fucked up. All of us. We never should’ve read that damn book.”

That was the moment that Polly decided to pay attention to what was going on. “Hey, what’s the big idea?” Polly complained. “You made Scott cry! Whatever you said to him, take it back!”

“Take it _back_ ?” Amira asked. “Believe me, if I could take ANY of this back, undo all _this_ , I would! But you still don’t understand! Everyone’s gone! G-O-N-E! LOOK AROUND YOU!”

Polly was about to argue when she decided to actually take in what Amira was saying and observe her surroundings. She didn’t seem phased, mainly because this looked only _slightly_ worse than her biggest rager. But now that she thought about it… those bones looked _pretty_ convincing. “Eh… oops.”

“Oops?” Scott asked. “I don’t think ‘Oops,’ even begins to describe this! What have we done?!” Amira hugged him as he kept crying.

“Okay, _maybe_ we’ve gone a little overboard this time.” Polly admitted. “Don’t get _your_ panties in a twist, too. We’ll just have Z’gord fix it.”

“But how?” Scott asked.

“I… I don’t know, but we’ll find a way!” Polly answered, optimism in her voice. “We can fix this! We can… I’m sure that if we ask really nicely, Z’gord will bring all of our friends back! … Right?”

Amira and Scott just stared at her as the fire began to die down. “I think we might have to talk with Brian… if anyone could stop this, it’s him,” she answered, as the three went off to find him.

* * *

 

Meanwhile, the sound of green lightning splitting the air drowned out the screams. It was painfully clear, Vera and Valerie had to _go_. It didn’t matter where, but they just had to keep escaping the chaos. Their bunker was no longer safe.

Vera gathered all the supplies she could carry. They had to travel light…

“Val? Are you all set?” she asked, stepping out and feeling the burning wind against her skin for the first time in a long while.

“Yeah…” her sister answered, still limping. Hope might have saved her life, but she was still a little banged up. She only carried one thing with her, her old school backpack, filled with tons of strange items that she otherwise would’ve sold.

“I told you, we need to carry the essentials,” Vera said. “Your trinkets won’t be any good to us.”

“I know… but…”

“Val… there’s no time for sentiments.”

With a heavy sigh, Valerie let her bag fall to the ground. Some objects spilled out from the zipper. Among them were a pair of pink, funny-looking glasses, a Russian novel she never bothered to read, and a strange, unsettling stone statuette. Anything that couldn’t be eaten or used to patch up injuries was basically worthless now.

The gorgon put Valerie’s arm over her shoulder, as the sisters wandered further into the wasteland, hoping to outrun the chaos.

“Will… will we be able to come back home?” Valerie asked.

“I don’t know. Probably not,” Vera answered.

“What about our friends?”

“As if they could’ve survived this,” Vera regretfully answered before helping Valerie onto her back.

“Hehe, usually I’m the one giving you piggy-back rides…” Valerie chuckled.

“Shut up… maybe if we’re lucky, we’ll stumble on an interdimensional portal.”

“Here’s hoping…”

The Oberlin sisters trekked further and further away, leaving behind the dust and ash that was once their home. Whether they managed to find a way out of this hellhole or perished to the elements will forever be unknown, as neither were seen again…

* * *

 

While one pair made their way away from the chaos, another was staring right in its… _her_ face. Brian held his resolve as he told Zoe what her actions have caused.

“ _Brian… I don’t understand. I thought you wanted the world to be ours…”_ Zoe asked.

“I didn’t want world domination… all I wanted was you,” Brian answered. “I heard your pleas and I just wanted to see you, help you, show you the world if I could. But not like this… never like this.”

The towering behemoth of flesh began to twist and contort, condensing itself down to something more… humanoid? The monstrous Z’gord retracted all it’s tendrils, all it’s gaping maws and unblinking eyes, to form a small, teenage girl, standing before Brian. This was the Zoe that he knew… the one he imagined her to be.

“ _This is what it means to be a dark deity. Bringing the end of days, being the harbinger of destruction and death. I… honestly can’t help it. It’s just who I am… right?_ ”

“You don’t sound too sure,” Brian answered, approaching her, seeing that he towered over her. “You can be more than that, Zoe. I don’t see a dark diety… I just see a girl.”

_“Zo… ee? Why do you insist on calling me that?”_

“Well… you never really struck me as a Z’gord,” Brian admitted, chuckling. “Sounds prettier, doesn’t it?”

“ _Well, I’m not pretty… certainly not compared to anyone else in this realm. Maybe those witches were right… I’m an abomination. I’m repulsive,_ ” she sobbed.

“No, Zoe. You’re no—”

“ _I killed your friends! I didn’t know that they were your friends, but I killed them!_ ”

Brian just held the sobbing eldritch horror in his arms. He had every right to be angry with her… but he wasn’t. He just continued to hug Zoe. “Zoe… I need you to be honest with me. Is there a way… any way at all, to—?”

“BRIAN! BRIAN, WHERE ARE YOU?!”

Brian’s question was interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice, one he wasn’t too happy with at the moment. He looked over his shoulder, seeing Amira approach from over the hill, with Scott and Polly by her side. God, what was it now?

“Heya, Z!” Polly chirped. “Did you lose weight? You’re looking’ good!”

“What do you guys want?” Brian groaned. “We’re kinda in the middle of somethin’ here.”

“Found something you might wanna see,” Amira told him. She had something in her hands… an ornate, obsidian totem, carved into some sort of… face?

 _“How did…?! My totem! Where did you find it?_ ”

“Well, we found it in a backpack by some weird metal door.” Scott answered.

“Somehow, that shopkeeper kitty got a hold of it… who knew?” Polly shrugged.

“I don’t get it,” Brian said. “What do you mean ‘your totem’?”

“ _You see… there’s only way I can enter this world is if someone invites me… and usually, my very presence brings the destruction you see before you,”_ Zoe began. _“This is a totem that was… meant to dampen my powers. If one were to enact a ritual with this, I would be bound to a mortal vessel.”_

“So… it weakens you?”

_“Correct. You asked if there was any way to reverse the pr’ank apocalypse. I feared doing such a thing while also being with you would be impossible… but now we have a solution.”_

“Wait, wait…” Amira began, as she started to think. “That doesn’t make any sense. We can’t fix anything now… This totem would only be useful if we never used the book in the first place.”

_“Also correct. And that’s exactly what we shall do.”_

“I… don’t get it. You lost me,” Scott remarked, scratching his fuzzy head.

Zoe turned to the four of them. “ _I shall reverse the timeline, and you will create a new one._ ”

A silence hung in the hair between them. Mostly a mix of confusion.

“You can just… do that?” Polly asked. “I didn’t know you could time-travel.”

“ _I can melt the very sun and moon by thinking of it. Reversing the flow of time will not be an issue.”_

“Wait… I think I know what you’re getting at,” Brian said. “We reverse time, and use the totem to summon you?”

Zoe nodded. _“By dampening my power through the totem, your world would stay intact. Your friends shall live, and we can still be together,_ ” She gently held Brian’s hand with a tentacle. _“My eldritch powers would be all but gone… but it would be worth it._ ”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Amira asked. “Send us back!”

Zoe remained quiet for a moment. _“Very well,_ ”

Zoe’s humanoid form gave way, expanding back into the towering shape that she arrived in. As the four of them watched, the world around them started to pause. Flames froze, and smoke stopped billowing, before… time was passing in reverse. Their surroundings grew blurrier as the reversing process accelerated.

“Woah… I feel… funny.” Polly said, grasping at her head as she faded in and out of sight. Scott was flickering all the same, and Brian saw Amira wave at him vanish as well. The chaos, mayhem, and destruction undid themselves before all the colors and shapes blended into a grey storm around him. He felt himself shaking, and it became harder to stay conscious. It felt like at any moment, he would pass out.

“WAIT! ZOE!” he shouted.

And everything was still again. There was only darkness surrounding him, suspended in an endless void. He looked around, and found the girl beside him.

“ _There is something else I should mention,_ ” Zoe began. _“You’ll be the only one who remembers this timeline. Not even I can assist you after I send you back._ ”

“I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you jump through so many hoops. I promise, I’ll just get the totem and we’ll be all set… right?”

 _“One more thing,_ ” Zoe told him, after hesitating. _“The totem ritual… it will take some time to complete.”_

“How long?”

 _“A month. And until that one month is finished, I won’t be able to speak with you,_ ”

“But… Prom is… in a few weeks.” Brian sighed. “I was planning to take you, and hopefully, you could… feel like a regular girl, you know?”

 _“Prom…?_ ”

“Don’t worry about it,” Brian sighed. “I just… don’t want to say goodbye yet. Maybe… we could stay here for a while? Just fifteen minutes?”

For the first time Brian had seen, Zoe’s face gave way to a smile. A soft, demure look. _“Of course,_ ”

“I’d ask you to dance, but there’s no music…” the zombie chuckled, holding out his hand for her.

 _“Dance? I’m afraid I never learned how,_ ” Zoe answered, taking his hand in hers.

“It’s okay. I’ll show you.”

He took Zoe into his arms, and his fifteen minutes alone with her began. He showed her how to move her feet, and how to keep in time with the song he was humming.

And just like that, his time was up. Blackness consumed his senses, and nothing existed for a moment. That is, until he heard a familiar buzzing… of his alarm clock.

“ZOE!” Brian shouted, shooting up straight in his bed. His dead skin was covered in cold sweat, and he never felt his heart beat this hard before.

The whispers in his mind were silent. Her voice was gone. It took a moment for the reality sink in… he felt a relief… everything was as it should be, for the most part. But now he had a clue of what his goal was. Find the totem… and avoid the book. As long as he stuck by that, he’ll see Zoe within a month’s time. Right?

“Morning, Brian!” a cheery voice called from outside his shack. A voice he hadn’t actually heard in weeks worth of time.

Vicky opened the door to his room, and was immediately greeted with a zombie wrapping his arms around her in a strong hug.

“Brian? Is everything okay?”

Thankfully, Brian held back the tears from her. “Y-yeah,” he sighed, not letting go of Vicky. “Just a nasty dream.”

Vicky returned the hug. “Come on… don’t wanna miss the bus.”

“Yeah. I’ll be with you in a sec,” Brian sighed before letting her go. “By the way, can I borrow some money? I need to pay Valerie a visit…”

Later, he made his way to Valerie’s booth in the cafeteria.

“Hey stranger,” the werecat yawned as he approached. “Whatcha need?”

“I don’t suppose you have any obsidian totems meant for summoning a dark deity?”

Valerie looked up from her phone. “That’s an incredibly specific request, but, you’re in luck. Twenty money.”

She reached into her backpack, and plopped the heavy stone statue on the table with a _thud._ Brian slid the money over the counter, and picked it up in his hands. “No refunds,” she reminded.

Even though he didn’t hear her sweet voice, he still felt a chill when holding her totem. “I found you, Zoe…” Brian whispered before pocketing it in his jacket. “See you soon.”

* * *

_One Month Later…_

A month had passed. Prom came and went in an instant. Oz was able to go out with Miranda on a date since he consoled her for losing Prom Queen. Vicky and Liam were still going strong, even after his popularity died down after he became Prom King. Amira went with both Polly and Scott and decided to dump the contents of the punch bowl onto the Prom Royalty… possibly one reason Miranda shouldn’t be too upset.

Brian went as moral support for all three of them. In all fairness, the girl he would’ve asked out hasn’t spoken to him for three weeks. She couldn’t, as a result of the timeline being reset. He was at least happy that all of his friends were alive again, and that none of them had to remember the nightmare that he suffered through.

He still held onto that totem, taking it with him wherever he went. In a way, she was still with him, even at prom. He would occasionally talk to it whenever he was down, bored, or the rare cases he was excited. But as the month drew to a close, his excitement only steadily grew.

Throughout the month, especially after Prom, Brian kept finding himself lying down on the roof of his shack. It was a beautiful night; the stars were out, the breeze was nice and cool, and the moon was full and bright. He had grown to love stargazing and falling asleep on the roof, that totem not leaving his side.

“And that’s, umm, I think Oz said… Taurus, yeah, like a big cow or something,” he said pointing out the constellation to the totem. “Umm where’s that one thing he said that was good for something like this…?” Brian reached for his telescope, only to realize he didn’t own one. Oh well.

He took the small totem in his hands and held it close, stroking its edges gently. It was clear that he still missed her greatly. His eyes then slid closed as sleep took over. When he woke up as the sun was rising, he saw that the totem was gone. At first he was worried that he dropped it, or it fell off the roof, because it was nowhere to be found. Then he saw a figure standing in the yard, and he couldn’t help but smile…

“ _Hello, Brian. I missed you._ ”


End file.
